Suicide and associated psychosocial correlates among university students in Taiwan: A mixed-methods study

Background/purpose: The trend of suicide rates among young adults has been increasing worldwide. The study aimed to identify the suicide risks and associated psychosocial factors in a large university in Taiwan. Methods: This is a mixed-methods study using both questionnaire survey and two open-ended questions for the exploration of qualitative data. An online survey was conducted between two periods of the same semester in 2018 to collect different sources of stress and other suicide correlates. The measurement scales included the 9-item Concise Mental Health Checklist, the University Stress Screening Tool in Taiwan and the Chinese Maudsley Personality Inventory. The participants were required to fulfill two open-ended questions about stress experience and depressive symptoms in the previous month in the end of the questionnaire, which was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 857 university students were recruited (67.9% female participants). Over a quarter of participants were under poor mental health status and more than 60% experienced stressful events in the prior year. A higher suicide risk and neurotic trait was noticed compared to the general public. These results were consistent with the qualitative findings. Conclusion: While identifying several risk factors that cumulatively conduced to higher suicide risks, neuroticism served as a key element in the increased suicide risk among the university students. Suicide prevention strategies for university students should highlight stress management for those with neurotic trait and early suicide risk identification.